Conventionally, a hydrogen storage container is installed in a fuel cell automobile as a supply source of hydrogen gas serving as a fuel.
JP2008-151206A discloses a hydrogen storage container including a hollow liner that stores hydrogen gas and has a pair of liner opening portions through which the hydrogen gas is introduced, a sub-tank disposed inside the liner as a hollow cartridge main body in order to house a hydrogen storage material, and a heat exchange pipe wound spirally around an outer periphery of the sub-tank as a heat exchange flow pipe through which a heat exchange medium is led.
To charge the hydrogen gas into the hydrogen storage container, high-pressure hydrogen gas is supplied into the liner, and the heat exchange medium is supplied to the heat exchange pipe as a low-temperature cooling medium in order to cool the hydrogen storage material. In so doing, storage of the hydrogen gas in the hydrogen storage material is promoted.
To extract the hydrogen gas from the hydrogen storage container, on the other hand, high-temperature heat exchange medium is supplied to the heat exchange pipe in order to heat the hydrogen storage material. In so doing, discharge of the hydrogen gas from the hydrogen storage material is promoted.